Huckabee touts White in campaign rally

by Cole Dittmer

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Staff photo by Cole Dittmer

Former Arkansas governor and 2008 presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee speaks on behalf of New Hanover County Commission Chairman Woody White’s campaign for the North Carolina District 7 Congressional seat at the Air Wilmington hangar Friday, April 25.

Former 11-year Arkansas governor and 2008 presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee came to Wilmington to rally the campaign of New Hanover County Commission Chairman and District 7 congressional candidate Woody White.

Huckabee and White held a press conference at the Air Wilmington hangar Friday, April 25, and Huckabee said White would be an ideal choice for District 7, which covers nine Southeastern North Carolina counties.

“I truly believe that Woody is the kind of person that, when he gets to Washington, he is not going to forget where he came from,” Huckabee said. “He is not going to forget who he is, he better not forget to come back home and he will be rooted and grounded — not in the Washington way but in the North Carolina way.”

Huckabee would not comment why he thinks White is better suited for the position than his opponent, Republican candidate David Rouzer.

“I don’t know his competitor so there is nothing unkind for me to say about the other gentleman who is running,” he said.

Huckabee said he did know White’s humility and strong conservative foundation would serve him well in Washington.

“Woody has a temperate and moderate spirit but a strong, un-moderate conviction about his conservative beliefs,” Huckabee said. “That is refreshing for somebody to have the deepest, absolutely rock solid conservative credentials but not be a person that comes across with anger and a combative spirit.”

On Tuesday, April 29, White said he met Huckabee in 2007 when he helped his presidential campaign in North Carolina and South Carolina.

“He is just a tremendous man of character and faith and I like to support people like that,” White said. “We became close during our time together.”

It was about a month ago when Huckabee called White to ask if he could help in his District 7 campaign and the stop at Air Wilmington was one of three the two made in New Hanover and Brunswick counties. The other two stops were at a gathering of about 200 people at the Brunswick Forest community center and a fundraiser for White at the Cape Fear Club in downtown Wilmington.

White said Huckabee’s endorsement has been good for his campaign and added to the confidence he has leading up to the May 6 primary elections.

“We have just been very humbled that he would get involved in this. It has been a big boost to our campaign,” he said. “We sense incredible momentum and we sense we are going to win because it is time for a person from the coast to represent this district … and we are excited about winning the primary in a week and moving on to the November election.”